In many retail establishments, products are checked out with a bar code scanner. The scanner may be a countertop type, which is stationary and typically used in grocery stores. Alternately, the scanner may be a wand or a gun, each of which is handheld and connected to an electronic system by a cord. The main difference between the wand and the gun is that a trigger needs to be pulled before reading with a gun.
One of the problems with checking out various items in many retail stores is that the checker or clerk must handle each item in order to scan price information labeled on the products by means of bar codes. The bar code provides unit and price information which can be read and stored with conventional scanning equipment. Scanning bulky items presents problems. The bulky items may be bulk items in sacks such as dry dog food, fertilizer and the like. The bulky items may also be 18 and 24 unit cartons of beverages. If the store has only a stationary countertop bar code reader, the clerk must lift the product and maneuver it over the bar code reader. The bulky products are often brought to the check-out counter on a lower level of a cart. This requires the clerk to lift the product from a low level, risking a back injury. Also, the procedure is time consuming. Even if a wand or gun is used, it requires the clerk to bend over and often turn the product over or on its side for access to the bar code. Sometimes the cord will not be long enough to allow a wand or gun to reach the product on the cart without repositioning the cart. Also, if the register already has a stationary countertop bar code scanner, the addition of a gun or a wand for heavy items adds extra expense and maintenance.
In some hardware stores selling bulk items such as nails and screws, the clerk may have a book containing pictures of the various nails alongside a bar code. The clerk identifies the nails and moves the bar code wand across the bar code. This is helpful for unmarked items, but does not help the clerk with bulky or heavy products which are marked with a bar code.